As for the eleven disciples, they went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they bowed before him, although some doubted.”
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
POINT OF REFLECTION
When Jesus overcomes death as the wages of sin, He knew that he has to leave his disciples and went back to the Father. In the mountain of Galilee, Jesus met them and blesses them with the same authority that the Father has given him in order to carry his message to the end of the earth with the promise that he will never leave them through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Their works were not ordinary; in fact, higher authorities who have pursued and persecuted the disciples and followers of Jesus were puzzled as to how could these followers of him survived and even give-up their lives in Jesus name. The truth is, committing into the works of Jesus by proclaiming God’s words is agreeing the ever presence of the Holy Spirit in everyday living.
Sharing the Good News of salvation
We need to understand that being Christian is becoming like Jesus in character, values, deeds, and obedience to the will of the Father by spreading His words throughout the earth. Despite of this fact, we could not get away from casting doubt to ourselves thinking not worthy of doing what Jesus and his disciples had done in the past. Not even, when Jesus said that “I will give you (disciples and followers) the same authority as the Father has given me.”
The worthy reflection is this, personalities in the Bible were not worthy and have their own natured weaknesses but they were called by Jesus. Let’s consider few of them, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Paul was a murderer, Thomas was a doubter, Jonah ran from God, Elijah was moody, etc. From the mentioned few, we infer that God does not called the qualified instead qualifies the called. That is why, by passing Jesus’ same authority from the Father unto us (followers) is like saying that He called us to be qualified.
Opening of classes for School Year 2020-2021 is still the hottest issue of today considering the health and security impact of COVID19 in the country. However, RA 7977 or “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) days to not more than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days,” the “school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.’In this case, June 1, 2020 should be the opening of classes for this school year. But because of health concern amidst COVID 19 impact, adjustment could be possible for the safety of the learners and all education sector personnel.
The DepEd headed by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has to weigh things right in favor of health, safety and well-being of the learners and DepEd personnel. She needs to listen to the voice of the stakeholders both internal and external and seriously consider the recommendation of the president of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) upon the data and recommendation from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against COVID 19 impact. Lately, ongoing survey conducted for this purpose showed that any day in August would be acceptable to the respondents which included, learners, parents, teachers, DepEd personnel and other external stakeholders. We are expecting that any day in August will be declared as the first day of classes.
The questions are, what if COVID 19 cases curve would not flatten before the month of August? Would it be possible for DepEd to prolong the opening of classes beyond August? Secretary Briones has given her statement that like the marawi uprising “education must continue.” DepEd has already prepared a contingency plans, programs and preparation to protect learners and DepEd personnel even if COVID 19 is still posing danger to the public on the opening of classes.
What are these contingency plans and programs? What are the preparation being done? How feasible are these programs? These are some of the questions that needs to be answered before the declaration of the first day of classes for SY 2020-2021. First and foremost, we need to define the opening of classes within the purview of the so called “new normal “amidst COVID 19. According to Usec. Annalyn Sevilla, Opening of School does not necessarily mean requiring the learners and teachers to be physically present in the school campus. It needs extra-ordinary precautionary measures which may includes shortening of school hours, use of social media platforms, and filtering subject competencies.
Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of instruction would be of serious consideration. These will include modular classes where in learners may only be required to come to school in a pre-arranged schedule considering their numbers (class size) and classroom space to comply with the social distancing rules.
Classroom instruction may be also delivered using the available social media platforms like the DepEd commons, online classroom instruction via messenger and zoom application. Subject competencies were significantly reduced and clustered to respond to the need of the learners just enough to be covered even shortening of school hours is put into effect.
Going back to the question, what is the ongoing preparation done by DepEd? DepEd is now conducting training and workshop to the 1700 competent teachers for subject module writing. It is then expected that after this training workshop enough subject modules would be available for use. Some other competent academic writers are also working with electronic books for online classes. E-books would be available and downloadable from the DepEd LR portal. Furthermore, regional learning hubs are to be created to serve for this purpose. In response, telecommunication companies like Globe and Smart offered free services to teachers and learners under this program. In other words, using DepEd commons is absolutely free of charge to the teachers and learners. In essence, adopting this program does not need additional expense on the part of the teachers and learners instead seem economical for they do not need to travel to school every day. Likewise, skeletal work forces are also given additional load allowance to better connect and serve their clients in this “new normal” set up. If asking the readiness of the teachers to this new instructional trend? DepEd will be conducting online training and WEBINAR to all teachers and school heads making them atone to this new instructional model emerging from this “new normal” phenomenon.
As to preparedness, DepEd leaders do not claim that they are really prepared for this new challenge. But they promise to do their best and better serve the stakeholders and to the country as a whole. Their call is for us to be patient and resiliently responsive to this whole new thing amidst the crisis brought about by COVID 19.
When the day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. So far you have not asked for anything in my name; ask, and receive, that your joy may be full.
I have tough you all these things in veiled language but the time is coming when I shall no longer speak in veiled language, but will speak to you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will ask in my name; and it will be necessary for me to ask the Father for you, for the father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and you believed that I came from the Father. As I came from the Father, and I have come into the world, so I am leaving the world, and going to the Father.”
POINT OF REFLECTION
In the beginning, man was born out of sinfulness. No single person at child birth comes with the Holy Bible. No one by birth, becomes Christian unless he/she is born again. A person must be baptize in water the way John the Baptist did and later be baptize by the Holy Spirit as Jesus baptized his disciples and followers. His disciples and followers were made to grow in faith starting from the first level ( familiarity, accommodation and adoption), second level (familiarity, accommodation and adoption), third level and soon with the same process of familiarity, accommodation and adoption) until he/she became a full grown Christian. In other words being Christian is not a “one shot” transformation. It happens by stages perfected with appropriate processes. Going into a “mad rush” is like a seed sown in a shallow soil on top of a rocky ground, it is quick to sprout but will eventually wither and die under adverse condition.
Even during Jesus time with the disciples, his teaching was organize according to the level of difficulty when he said “ today I taught you with a veiled language, but time will come I shall not speak in veiled language but plainly speak about the Father.” His speaking in veiled language does not mean hiding something from us, instead, waited for the right time for us to be able to respond correctly about the truth of the Father with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we believe that there is no single rock left unharmed by the gradual pounding of water droplets from up high then, there would be no single reason for unbeliever to be still with the power of our prayer. When we go for evangelization, pray hard for the one whom you would be evangelizing, for God will make it happen for you.
Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of her great joy: a human being is born into the world. You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice; and no one will take your joy from you. When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
POINT OF REFLECTION
The works of evangelization is not easy. Disciples task of carrying out the works of Jesus after crucifixion was very challenging. Mixed emotions were with them when they went out to proclaim the gospel. At the end of the day, success or failure would be a thing. They took neither success nor failure of themselves for they knew that what has been done was the will of the Father. Great was their trust in the Lord that until today, we enjoy the fruits of their labor. The joy of accepting Jesus as our savior.
We become Christian believers of today because of their works from generation to generation. They worked objectively for the kingdom in heaven without faltering their ways amidst trials and difficulties.
Their accomplishment is the standing monument that reminds us how good they were as worker of the vineyard. This should not be put into oblivion even with fast changing time. We need to have a rekindled spirit to sustain Christian dominion all over the world. Salvation is universal. Everyone is called to enjoin through Jesus.
“A little while, and you will see me no more; and then a little while, you will see me.” Some of the disciples wondered, “What does he mean by ‘a little while, and you will not see me; and then a little while you will see me’? And why did he say, ‘ I go to the Father’?”
And they said to one another, What he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.”
Jesus knew that they wanted to question him; so he said to them,” You are puzzle because I told you that in a little while you see me no more, and then a little while later you will see me. Truly I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.
POINT OF REFLECTION
The disciples were puzzled when Jesus said “ in a little while you will see me no more, and then a little while later you will see me.” Truly, Jesus physical presence with the disciples took only a while. Yes, Jesus time on earth was flitting too fast unnoticed but just enough for his disciples’ formation.
While He promised them to see him later in a little while, was a plain declaration of passing his works to his disciples.
This was then a harsh reality among them which caused them the test of courage, persistence and faithfulness to willfully do what Jesus had told them to do in his momentary absence.
Though the exact phrase was “ a little while” which signifies a short period in God’s time, does not mean the same with man’s time. God will return in a later time but could mean a century or two for humans. This is for us, Christian followers, a lifetime labor for the promotion of God’s kingdom.
In finality, life is not about man’s advancement on material things but a preparation for the greater glory in heaven.
The flagship program of the Department of Education in the height of COVID 19 is her Learning Continuity Plan (LCP). This is into the single outlook of Sec. Leonor Briones, “Education must Continue.” Pushing forward this transitional agenda is not easy for what we have now is one of a kind in a century. A working plan must be carefully prepared responsive to the variant needs across future situation adjustment. Hence, the possibility of conducting classes like the way teachers were is risky, delivery options are sought in response to the new needs of the new normal teaching.
There are five learning delivery options available for the school heads to choose from upon the recommendation of their teaching force. These are the following: blended learning, distance learning, homeschooling, apprenticeship and face-to- face.
Blended learning is a hybrid approach emerging from the traditional classroom teaching (Face-to-face), modular independent learning approach and the online teaching approach.
The key implementation features of this learning program are: limit the face-to-face learning delivery, afford social distancing, and significantly reduce the volume of people outside the home at a given time.
Distance learning is a learning program appropriate for independent learners. This could be best achieved under the supervision of their parents or guardians in an educational platform.
The key implementing features of this learning program are: learning delivery is online through an educational platform, learning delivery through educational program on TV and radio, and delivery using the prepared modules.
Homeschooling is a learning delivery program which provides learners with equal access to quality basic education at home to be facilitated by qualified parents, guardians, tutors who have undergone relevant training.
The key implementing features are: First, families can educate according to their personal faith, philosophy, and values. Second, learning schedules may be adjusted to fit family schedules and circumstances.
Apprenticeship is a learning program which provides Senior High School learners the opportunities to actually immerse themselves in the workplace situations under the supervision of a certified practitioner.
The key implementing features are: Appropriate only to Senior High School students with their TVL specialization who could learn through work engagement. Senior High School learners that are ready for onsite learning under the supervision of the onsite and teacher supervisor.
Face-to-face learning is the traditional learning approach and environment that requires students and the teachers to be both physically present in the classroom.
The key implementing features are: Opportunities for active engagement and participation, Immediate feedback, Socio-emotional development of learners.
The appropriateness of a learning delivery of a school would be dependent on the following: a) the profile of the learners as to their learning readiness (dependent or independent learner) b) availability of technology, c) availability of the required tools and equipment, d) availability of the printed modules, and e) the readiness of the teachers to manage these learning delivery options.
Responding in the new normal situation is not really easy. No one could claim preparedness. We are all caught by surprise. To hit a better adjustment for us to go onward is a challenge. This is not only a challenge to the authorities but to all of us. We need to endure and bravely sustain the birth pain of this new process until the whole system and structure will be in place.
It is true that the world is too heavy for us to carry everyday. There is no single day that seems easy. It is in fact full of difficulties, problems, trials and challenges. But wait! Do we really have the same perception about this thing? Do others look at these things in the way we do? or, Are we looking things the way they look at too? Whichever the case, seems very difficult to understand. But simple thinking with great logic may do.
Now, let us try to have some mental imprint review. It is like this, everyday our brain received a huge amount of data from the outside through our senses. To give a good estimate, it is more or less two million bits per second. This is not an ordinary volume of information that our brain is processing every second of our lives. All our difficulties, problems, trials and challenges are considered as a low pressure zone of this fast moving bits of information in our brain system. These are issues and concerns marked by lack of clarity due to some conflicting data with no connection to the massive data imprint in our brain. These bands of data though important did not get much attention to the person which then turns out into his disadvantage. As a result, it becomes the origin of all the difficulties, problems, trials and challenges in our lives because it was not given due attention and action from the time of it emergence.
Is the perceived inability of a person’s brain to respond correctly to the data gathered considered helpless? The answer is no. There are ways by which we can reprogram the brain to respond appropriately to the millions of important information he is receiving every second of the day. The reprogramming process must be objective duly defined from the brain’s internal misrepresentation of the data received causing setbacks and failures.
From the above discussion, personal issues and concerns are most likely internal rather than external in origin. The reprogramming processes would be tough for the main issue to be resolved is within, that is him against himself. The third party is the coach and therefore requires absolute discipline on the part of the trainee.
The reprogramming coach will have to know more about the trainee by looking into how the brain of this person process and filter information using the concept of elimination, distortion and abstraction. We know that a person received more or less two million bits of information every second. With the vastness of this data, it is impossible for a person to have even one percent of the two million bits of data per second. In fact according to study, a person can reduce the two million bits of information down to about one hundred thirty and four thousand bits of information per second. Meaning he is eliminating around ninety nine percent and takes in only one percent. The data screening processes includes assimilation as to the brain’s metacognitive program, language, memories, values and beliefs. Depending on the degree of connection, association and relevance, of the new data to the millions of collage mental imprint of the brain, comes the internal representation which influx bio-electronic signals to human system to activate and animate our body into a state of emotion. Here, the internal representation of the newly filtered data underground the emotional display of a person.
As emotion is roughly define as the condition of the body in action forge by energy in motion (e-motion) shot to the body nerve network synchronizing whole physiology system of the body will manifest a behavioral outcome. In this case, without the prior reprogramming, the resulting behavior is undesirable to the target performance level. It is in this point that we began to understand the nature of our personal issues and concerns in life.
Now having elaborated the discussion about the unpacking of the causal origin of our miseries and failures, mental reprogramming and conditioning for success would be the best option to the many problems our people are facing today.
Most of us thought that success is just like a shooting star. It flashes its way across the horizon in beauty and fascination. However, man’s dream does not come into reality by way of chance as if chosen more than others. It is a carefully managed long term desire coming into reality cause by able preparation, consistency of purpose, overcoming hardships and work obsessions all for the desired outcome. All these require a whole new self to accomplish everyday mission for the realization of the vision behind man’s dream.
A whole new self is referring to the same person, with a new frame of mind set renewed in spirit. This can be learned through a disciplined process, remaking oneself by changing self belief and creating a new mind set for success.
A dozen tips are helpful guide for you to follow.
1. Having a unique mentality
You need to look at things differently. While others see things or situation as unchangeable, look at it as a kind of opportunity. While others get themselves go easy and relax, know the works to be done. In other words, be the source of brand new ideas to be followed not to be a follower. Remember a truly great man is not the one who follows the trail but the one who creates his own trail and get followed.
2. Committing for success
Create a clear image of your vision. Have a working road map towards the realization of the vision. Get so much obsessions about the images of your success defined by the vision. Accomplish component missions according to timeline. Win over difficult circumstances that turns out to be a stumbling block. And celebrate success momentarily.
3. Living a life in no doubt
Self efficacy is very important. Never ever think of doubting one’s own capability. Self belief transform ones spirit and recharge the whole being, to be able to do, even more than what is expected. This is the wonder of having an active spirit of success within.
4. Keeping ones space inside your circle of optimism
Associate with people who have an optimistic sense of life. Never to those who says no to your ideas. Never to those who have much reasons to say that your idea isn’t working. Yes to those who always believe the credibility of your idea. Yes to those who always lift up your spirit to do more in life. In them, sure success is in your hands.
5. Talk about Personal Success with Joy
From time to time, give yourself a reward for a work well done. Celebrate success with your chosen circle. Your joy with them surely creates another you who is going to be amazing in a couple of years. Always talk about success and forever forget failure. Doing this, all the time blocks the energy of failure and boasts energy of success. Keep the mind set of success.
6. Create a clear vision, mission and values
Your success image and vision must be very clear. Always enjoy the moment of success image in your mind. Allow this mental image to possess you throughout your journey of success. Breaks down your success image strategically into a working mission. This simplifies your way towards the whole thing of your success. Furthermore, it is very important to recognize and keep the required values of your vision. Make these values a way of life to safeguard success. Remember, success may bring you somewhere else but be careful not to loss your true identity.
7. Knowing Personal Drag
Though life is a gift from God, it is not perfected for this world. There are times that life’s baggage’s cause us so much burden. It even culminates into kicking us off from the right path. In the occasion like this, do not forget to always connect to our creator as the ultimate source of inspiration. God knows our success. He will always come to our rescue.
8. Create a master plan
In everything we do, master plan is very important. Remember, failure to have a plan means planning to fail. Master plan is your success territory. It allows you to explore in advance what comes after today.
9. Mastering expression of gratitude
Be always grateful to those who have come to help you succeed in your journey. Expression of gratitude is like a magnetic charm for you to better attract more opportunities in the future.
10. Express your dream
Words are really powerful. Lets be reminded that through the word of God, the universe was created. Believe me, not unless you clearly describe your dream in a full clean language of your own, it will never come into reality. Every word you speak of, about your dream serves as a magic potion to constantly, refuel your burning desire about your dream.
11.Always think of how rather than the what.
The how’s and what’s differentiate leadership from management. Success will never come to those who work for his own might alone. You need people around you to work with. Full knowledge of leadership is material so that people choose to follow you because they believe in you. Likewise, do not under estimate equally important principles of management to keep things going in its proper order.
12. Motivation even in the new normal situation.
Motivation comes in two kinds according to its sources. A motivation could be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is your own volition, its your own very reasons that keeps you going. Extrinsic motivation is external factors, which could be a reward, favor, commitment to some, family advancement, etc. Equal full strength of these two kinds will have a greater impact on the way you will respond to life’s challenges ahead.
Success is everyone’s dream. But dream is not everyone’s success because, not all who uses to dream move heaven and earth strategically to the cause of success.
